Prochoice Call to Action – Melbourne

The Parliament of Victoria sits for the first time in 2015 on Tuesday. Welcoming MPs as they arrive at the Parliament car park will be the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants (HOGPI). In recent years they have erected a banner along Macarthur Street. One year they added a cross for every abortion performed in Victoria throughout the year, and the next year they added a breast cancer awareness ribbon (claiming a link between abortion and breast cancer) for every abortion performed in Victoria.They will be back in 2015, supported by St Patrick’s Cathedral, Youth for Life and Rachel Carling-Jenkins MLC of the Democratic Labour Party. Carling-Jenkins has entered parliament promising to wind back the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008, beginning with Section 8.

Victorians must take this opportunity to remind MPs that the majority of Victorians are prochoice and support the current laws.

Bring placards, banners, invite family and friends, make your voices heard and let the HOGPI know that we are #NEVERGOINGBACK

How to get there:
Exit Parliament Station at Macarthur Street exit and walk 100 metres north-east.
Catch the 11, 12 or 109 Tram to Parliament Station, Macarthur Street and walk 90 metres north-east.

Yesterday one of your brethren committed a most unchristian act and did so in front of each and every one of you.

I’d like to know what are you willing to do about it?

The fourth Saturday of each month is the regular date for you and other anti-abortion Catholics to attend a “Pro-Life Mass” at St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne, and then participate in a Rosary Parade to the location of the Fertility Control Clinic.

I stand among the defenders which yesterday kept your Rosary Parade to the opposite side of Wellington Parade, away from the entrance to the clinic.

Yesterday a young man, whose partner was inside the clinic, was standing with the clinic defenders on the clinic side of Wellington Parade. Understandably he felt more comfortable with our support than yours.

Helper’s of God’s Precious Infants (HOGPI) have returned with a new banner more galling than before. Last year they greeted MPs arriving at the car park entrance to Parliament House with a banner marked with crosses to represent the number of abortions alleged to have occurred in Victoria in 2012. This year their banner displays Pink Ribbons, the international symbol of breast cancer awareness, and reads:

HOGPI are also handing out a leaflet that reads:
“Who is the single most important person protecting this woman from breast cancer?

…. her baby

Long before birth, her baby’s chemical signals began the process of breast growth and maturation that make breastfeeding possible. And it is only through a full-term pregnancy and lactation that a woman acquires her greatest protection against breast cancer.Abortion prevents this, increasing a woman’s risk of breast cancer.www.bcpinstitute.org”

The Breast Cancer Prevention Institute is an anti-choice (prolife) organisation started by well known proponents of discredited theories regarding abortion, the pill and their contributions to breast cancer.

Extensive and repeated studies have concluded time and time again that abortion does not cause or contribute to breast cancer. This consensus is supported by major medical bodies including the World Health Organisation and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

It is indication of how desperate the anti-choice movement is that they keep pushing discredited theories as serious science. Their desperation is evident with every pink ribbon displayed on their banner. Every pink ribbon on that banner is an insult to the women and their families who have battled breast cancer.

Victorian woman deserve the truth and the truth is that HOGPI and others in the religious right are seeking to deny women choice through the misrepresentation of science.

Join with the Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights in sharing that truth and the battle to ensure that woman have access to safe and legal abortion.

This morning (Feb 16th 2013) at the Fertility Control Clinic a 40 Days for Life protester was displaying graphic images to every person who passed by on foot or in a vehicle. Patients entering the clinic found these to be so distressing that the clinic called for Police attendance, labelling the images obscene.

Police were unable to stop the woman displaying the images as she claimed to have authorisation from the courts. A compromise was reached whereby she would not display them to children or towards the road, while Police took photos of the images to verify her claims.

We do not intend to reproduce the images here but this image censored to remove the images shows how the woman displayed them to passers by.

Clinic staff despair at these protesters as they have to explain to their patients and families how they are allowed to inflict grief and shame. Sadly these religious bigots just don’t care for women.

With strength in numbers we can keep 40 Days for Life away from the clinic entrance.
Join us 9:30am every Saturday at 118 Wellington Parade East Melbourne.

The next 40 Days for Life Campaign runs from Wednesday 13th February to Sunday 24th March. For the duration of Lent anti-choicers will intimidate women at the Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne and Dr Marie – Marie Stopes International in Croydon. This is despite accepting a “Statement of Peace“.

Campaign Director Fons Janssen states in an email dated January 11, 2013 that he has incorporated the ideals of 40 Days for Life in a new flyer:

To Fons a pregnant woman needs the protection of the father of her unborn child. As though a woman is incapable of making the right choice for her.

It clearly demonstrates the sexist patriarchal outlook of the anti-choicers. They don’t trust women.

Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights does trust women and defends their right to reproductive choice. To demonstrate that trust Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights will defend the clinic on the first morning on the 40 Days for Life. Join us.

What happens when the Fertility Control Clinic is undefended? Bullies come out to play.

The Campaign for the Women’s Reproductive Rights (CWRR) has had great success at keeping the Rosary Procession away from the entrance to the Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne. For 7 years on the fourth Saturday of the month CWRR had kept the bigots to the other side of the road. The Rosary Procession had not turned up at the clinic since October 2012 due to the presence of CWRR and the mass rally by Melbourne Feminist Action – until yesterday.

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Like cowards and bullies the Rosary Procession varied their regular schedule to march on the third Saturday of the month to avoid CWRR’s regular clinic defence on the fourth Saturday of the month.

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Rather than stay to the south side of Wellington Parade they crossed the road.

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They positioned themselves at the entrance of the Fertility Control Clinic to intimidate patients and their families.
The sight of four men bearing the Virgin Mary on a platform was the sight to confront anyone leaving the clinic.

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They flagrantly ignored the white line set by Melbourne City Council to keep the path clear and intimidated passers by.

During the time they spent in front of the clinic three patients were forced to leave by the rear entrance to avoid them.

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The Rosary Procession left after approximately an hour, but John Forster from 40 Days for Life stayed outside the clinic. Although the 40 Days for Life doesn’t begin until February 13th in his words “It’s never too early to advertise.”

It was the first time in seven years that the Rosary Procession stood on the clinic side of the road. It shows how important it is that the clinic be defended by the prochoice majority. Together we can keep the antichoice minority away from the clinic entrance. When faced with the clinic defence the Rosary Procession has proven they avoid confrontation. Just like a bully.

Join us for the next CWRR Clinic Defence
9:30am – Saturday 26th January
118 Wellington Parade East Melbourne